


Character Studies - Kawashima Ami

by forkandgarden_3



Series: Character Studies [6]
Category: Toradora!
Genre: Character Study, No Plot/Plotless
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-16
Updated: 2018-08-16
Packaged: 2019-06-28 07:34:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15702714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forkandgarden_3/pseuds/forkandgarden_3
Summary: Kawashima Ami basic character study [6]





	Character Studies - Kawashima Ami

The child who had to grow up too fast. 

From day 1 we knew that her kind, ditzy act was just that. An act. Tiga saw through it immediately and Ryuji needed to see it dissolve. And Yusaku made sure to show him. Not out of malice, but because he wanted Ami to have some more solid friends. People who knew her and still stuck around. He’s good to her in that way.  

Here’s the thing, the bitchy side of her is also an act. Just as much as the ditzy girl. That’s not who she really is either. But she needed it to protect herself. 

Being perfect and bossy, and cute, and everything else… she needs all of it, because she had to grow up a little too quickly. She hates being called mature, but plays into it, because that’s what everyone else expects of her. The “ditz” and the “bitch” were created to protect her. The “maturity” is what everyone expects of her. 

Being a model, in the public eye at such a young age can drive anyone crazy. To have kept her level of humanity is, actually outstanding.  

But she’s still  _ just a kid _ . A high schooler who was forced to grow up. Out of the main characters, the word I would give to her [not that it’s the best] is maybe “well rounded”. Ryuji sees her as the kid she is, and she’s grateful for it. She’s playful and she’s intuitive. She hates playing games precisely because she’s good at them. So when Minori and Ryuji dance around each other, she gets frustrated. 

Her feelings for Ryuji develop in an almost peculiar manner. At first meeting, she’s indifferent to him. As they get to know each other, and he sees a clearer picture of who she is, his attitude towards her changes. He understands that she’s a kid and helps her out in a department we all overlook in adults: cooking. She then starts to fall for him a little, because it’s the first time a guy has treated her with genuine kindness outside of Yusaku. And even greater to her is that he doesn’t expect anything in return. 

As she sees the games Taiga, Ryuji, and Minori are playing, she gets frustrated and her feelings change again. She’s not angry. She knows that he would never choose her and to a point, she’s at peace with it. Her feelings are more of a friend she can rely on; however, if he were to suddenly turn his affections towards her, she wouldn’t say no. 

When she sees how much pain Minori is going through, it gets her even more frustrated at all their games. She says a few cruel words, but knows she was in the wrong. But she’s done turning a blind eye. She wants Minori to be honest, even if it means her breaking down. Ami is good for her in that way. 

She a slight queer vibe to her, and she just...embraces it. She doesn’t really hide it, but being a girl has given her the advantage, since girls can "act a little gay" and no one would say anything. 

A pretty well rounded character. She’s a kid who’s seen more than she should have. There are parts of her that she’s still discovering, but overall she has a firm grasp on who she really is, which might be why she’s retained her humanity. 


End file.
